Istanbul , Turkey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Istanbul court slapped a world-renowned musician Monday with a 10-month suspended sentence for posting a series of tweets that poked fun at Islamic descriptions of heaven .

Classical concert pianist Fazil Say , 43 , was found guilty of `` openly insulting the religious values held by a portion of the public '' for the tweets , which were posted last year .

`` Although I am innocent and have not committed any crime , this decision I received is more worrisome for the freedom of expression and belief in Turkey than it is to me as a person , '' Say wrote in a statement posted on his Facebook page . The sentence marks a `` very sad day for freedom of expression in Turkey , '' Say 's lawyer Meltem Akyol told CNN . `` We were expecting an acquittal . ''

`` Freedom of expression does not entitle you to condescend or offend or insult people , '' countered plaintiff Ali Emre Bukagili . `` That 's a crime . ''

Say 's tweets included : `` You say the rivers will flow with wine , is heaven a tavern ? You say each believer will receive two women , is heaven a brothel ? '' according to the indictment .

In another , Say joked about the short duration of a cleric 's traditional Islamic call to prayer . The tweet asked a rhetorical question to the chanting cleric : `` What 's the hurry ? Lover waiting ? '' the indictment said .

Say also was convicted of retweeting allegedly offensive posts , such as , `` I am not sure if you have realized it , but where there is scum , a lowlife , a thief or a fool , s/he is always an Allahist . Is this a paradox ? ''

Faruk Logoglu , deputy international affairs chairman of the nation 's main opposition party , CHP , called the sentence a `` new link in the long chain of assaults on the freedom of expression and freedom of conscience in Turkey . ''

`` This is shameful for Turkish democracy , '' he said .

Say wo n't have to serve his sentence as long as he does n't commit a similar crime within the next five years . `` The decision is a correct one , '' said Bukagili . `` In our laws , it is against the law to publicly insult a belief , and he did that . ''

The case was filed last June after three plaintiffs lodged formal complaints .

Say has been a vocal critic of the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party , which has governed Turkey since it first won parliamentary elections more than a decade ago . Critics linked the case to a recent string of freedom of expression prosecutions in Turkey .

Last year , Say commented on the case for CNN Turk . '' ... if I thought I was guilty , I would feel uncomfortable with myself and would enter the jail on my own , '' he said . `` It is difficult for them to send me to jail . It is that simple . ''

@highlight

NEW : `` This is shameful for Turkish democracy , '' says Turkey 's main opposition party

@highlight

Pianist Fazil Say openly insulted religious values with his Twitter posts , court says

@highlight

His 10-month sentence is suspended as long as he does n't commit a similar crime

@highlight

Say has criticized Turkey 's governing Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party